Seattle NHL Brand Discussion

[hawk36]

1 hour ago, BellaSpurs said:

Well the Raptors brand has gone down practically every time it’s changed imo. The “We The North” campaign being pretty poor and bad in comparison to the rest of the NBA. When the Raptors name came out, I wasn’t alive yet so I can’t tell from experience, but I can tell you it was better than Kraken. Kraken has no history at all in anything, there might be a few statues or whatever but it’s an Atlantic and Scandinavian mythical creature, and has nothing to do with Seattle, it also is a non plural name, no s at the end, which, like Wild and Thunder, can sound super unprofessional and ridiculous. It reminds me of the Rocky Mountain Extreme, it’s that bad. The Raptors name however, had references more tied to Canada and Toronto. Canada, while more especially Alberta, is known for Dinosaurs, being plentifully rich in fossils, and as the Grizzlies took a more locally cultured brand focus, the Raptors got the rest of Canada, especially since they had Red in thier color scheme. The name Raptors was also had basis off the Jurassic Park movies, which, while a bad inspiration for a sports team, means it had culture significance at the time as it was the most popular movie. The Kraken have no movie, let alone influence in the Seattle area to call their own. Finally the Raptors also is just a better name, seems, more professional, not the most professional, I would much prefer huskies, but it’s better than the literal embodiment of the fire emoji movement that is the Kraken. 

Raptors name is fine but unfortunately they came in the cartoon era of NBA logos/uniforms and thus there will always have a Barney/Sesame Street vibe to the name. Had they started with the claw/ball logo from day one, I think the childish aspect would have never entered people's minds. 

[Tygers09]

To be honest, I like the name Kraken, BUT being a die hard Wings fan, I dont want them to, solely because of having an Octopus or creature similiar to that. I also like Sockeyes, but I did come up with some of my suggestions:

 

Breakers- The nickname of the old WHL team before being sold and the owner then changed them to the now Thunderbirds, but I'm pretty sure you would have to ask the current owner of the T-Birds for permission though.

 

Warlocks- I'm playing off the Emerald City nickname, and the Wizard of Oz theme. Although the Wizards would do, Washington DC already has a basketball team with that nickname and are criticized for it being to out there. The Warlocks sound more sinister/ menacing.

 

Bush Pilots- Named for the pilots of the seaplanes that frequently fly around the area.

 

Tsunamis- Has been suggested floating around online, it has a nice ring to it, but it would be one my WCS/ last resort chioce.

[Ridleylash]

On 1/31/2020 at 11:09 PM, DG_Now said:

This is on Seattle's waterfront:

Well, if we're going by waterfront statues being perfect inspiration for team names/mascots...

...then clearly the Canucks should stick to the Orca above all else since the Digital Orca is a thing on Vancouver's waterfront.  A single statue shouldn't always inform what a local team names themselves.

[IceCap]

On 2/1/2020 at 12:01 AM, sparky chewbarky said:

But my gawd, every young 'un LOVED the choice, primarily because of the renewed interest in dinosaurs due to the successful Jurassic Park movie.

It absolutely was. I was the target demo when the team unveiled its name and logo. I went from not even knowing what the NBA was in any real sense to wanting anything with a Toronto Raptors logo printed on it. It was a brilliant move.

 

The question is though, does "Kraken" provide that same opportunity? It's a meme, from 2009. Not exactly on the same level as Toronto's NBA expansion team striking while the iron's hot thanks to Jurassic Park.

I just wonder how many times they can reply that Clash of the Titans clip before it gets old.

[Ridleylash]

The absolute worst thing any brand can be is dated on arrival. There's names that have become iconic and timeless (Maple Leafs, Flyers, Packers, etc.), there's trendy names that end up sticking and just become the team's thing (Raptors, Ducks); both of those work.

 

But names that cause people to go "Ugh, seriously, they're using that as the team name?!" the moment they get revealed (or "leaked", in this case) is the opposite of what a new modern franchise should want to elicit with a brand; especially in today's culture, where the Internet can spread the lampooning of a bad branding tenfold. "Kraken" is the epitome of "Ugh, seriously?" names for me. It's not locally-driven at all, it's mainly driven by a dead meme from over a decade ago, it doesn't mesh well against the names of every other team in the league and it screams of the dumb sports trend of revealing something mediocre and slapping a bunch of after it.

 

Stuff like Evergreens or Cougars would be pretty meh, but at least those doesn't embody the sports trend of spam like "Kraken".

[Grish]

My teenage son and his friends talk non-stop about memes.  Adults are some what disconnected to the culture of teens, as always. So, maybe a meme is that same as Jurassic Park then...and we don’t know it.  At least the ownership group is not using Fortnight to get a name.

 

People post about culture values, gimmicks, copyrights and minor league. The fact is the only nickname that can create it is own identity is the Kracken or Krackens free of legal issues and gimmicks.  Sorry Sockeye is a gimmick through the tongue and cheek reference and a minor league is name like Hens, or Frogs. I also don’t need to hear the Totem name mocked with male genitalia.  Yes it will happen. There are issues with them all. 
 

The buzz created over the name has people talking during Super Bowl week.  It was number 1 on Twitter.  Remember Good or bad PR is this case is good PR, right out of PT Barnum’s playbook.   

 

 

[Ridleylash]

16 minutes ago, Hobogrish said:

Sorry Sockeye is a gimmick through the tongue and cheek reference

And "Kraken" isn't a gimmick through being a hilariously-outdated reference to a meme that's been dead for over a decade? Hell, I'm barely past the teenage years of my life and not once have I ever heard "Release the Kraken" said out loud in public.

 

And they can't use the trendy name excuse here because "Release the Kraken" hasn't been a hip and trendy meme since like 2009. Again, the Raptors struck while the iron was hot. This would be striking when the iron's freezing cold. Not at all comparable.

 

"Sockeyes" has more cultural staying power regionally and has the bonus of having a cheeky little hockey reference. The reference isn't the entire onus behind the name like "Kraken", it's just a fun bonus thing.

 

I mean, ideally, they'd use the Metropolitans since that's a really historically-significant name; but the division restructure had to go and nix that before it could even happen, so Sockeyes it is.

 

Quote

Remember Good or bad PR is this case is good PR, right out of PT Barnum’s playbook.   

Considering most of the PR I've seen around the social media I frequent has been negative, and the complaints have mainly been about how the name simply doesn't work, I don't know if they think all PR is good PR. I'm sure they would have the money and legal ability to just get around anything with the "Sockeyes" name, and be better off for it.

[gosioux76]

I hate Kraken for several reasons, many of which don’t bear repeating. But it would be particularly frustrating if an identity so clearly identified as a symbol of the region (Sockeye) were bypassed in favor of one (Kraken) in which everyone seems to be grasping for any slight, insignificant connection to the actual place it would represent. 
 

“We have Scandinavians here and a statue!,” is manufacturing a narrative to support a poor choice.

[IceCap]

25 minutes ago, Hobogrish said:

My teenage son and his friends talk non-stop about memes.  Adults are some what disconnected to the culture of teens, as always. So, maybe a meme is that same as Jurassic Park then...and we don’t know it.  At least the ownership group is not using Fortnight to get a name.

I teach teenagers. I have for six years now. I'm on the front line, and through all the slang I barely understand and the inside jokes that seem pointless and the reference to YouTube celebrities I only have the vaguest ideas of, I have yet to hear a "Release the Kraken" joke in my professional career. That was crap my friends and I were laughing at in uni. A decade ago.

 

 

[Midway]

Not that Sockeyes sounds much more “professional” but the name Kraken really reeks of minor league. At give us Leviathans or something that doesn’t sound like someone’s campy joke. 

[tBBP]

Not that anyone cares what a dude from clear across the country in the entire opposite corner has to say about the matter, but they could and should have done all they could have to get the "Metropolitans" name.  There's too many bad jokes to be made for "Sockeyes" and I won't even discuss the squid/octopus thing.  I don't care that there's  Metropolitan Division in the NHL's eastern conference (that was a hackneyed move anyway, Bettman trying to reclaim the nostalgia of the days of the Wales and Campbell Conference names); "Metros" should have been the target from the start. 

 

If they absolutely cannot get that, Sockeyes may be serviceable, in that it'd make three of four Seattle teams with the "SS" initials. (And hey look, another strike in favor of "Metros"--two "SSs" and two "SMs"! But whateva.) 

 

I just hope the franchise, particularly those in charge of crafting the visual identity, doesn't try so hard to be "hip, cool, trendy and edgy" that they end up suffocating themselves in the process.

[Ridleylash]

22 minutes ago, Midway said:

Not that Sockeyes sounds much more “professional” but the name Kraken really reeks of minor league. At give us Leviathans or something that doesn’t sound like someone’s campy joke. 

"Sockeyes" has an old-school vibe to it, is the thing. People wouldn't say the name was "unprofessional" in 1967, which is what any brand should strive to be; timeless. If you choose the right branding, you shouldn't be looking at a potential rebrand in just about a decade after you first come into the league.

 

"Kraken" is absolute trend-chasing guff. And unlike the Raptors, it doesn't have a championship legacy and it isn't excusable through having been made during the time that a hugely-popular film about dinosaurs was absolutely everywhere. And if the Raptors nearly rebranded to become the Huskies, a name tied to a team that lasted one season, around 10 or so years after they came into the NBA, then "Kraken" absolutely would end up being in the same situation.

[Grish]

1 hour ago, Ridleylash said:

And "Kraken" isn't a gimmick through being a hilariously-outdated reference to a meme that's been dead for over a decade? Hell, I'm barely past the teenage years of my life and not once have I ever heard "Release the Kraken" said out loud in public.

 

And they can't use the trendy name excuse here because "Release the Kraken" hasn't been a hip and trendy meme since like 2009. Again, the Raptors struck while the iron was hot. This would be striking when the iron's freezing cold. Not at all comparable.

 

"Sockeyes" has more cultural staying power regionally and has the bonus of having a cheeky little hockey reference. The reference isn't the entire onus behind the name like "Kraken", it's just a fun bonus thing.

 

I mean, ideally, they'd use the Metropolitans since that's a really historically-significant name; but the division restructure had to go and nix that before it could even happen, so Sockeyes it is.

 

Considering most of the PR I've seen around the social media I frequent has been negative, and the complaints have mainly been about how the name simply doesn't work, I don't know if they think all PR is good PR. I'm sure they would have the money and legal ability to just get around anything with the "Sockeyes" name, and be better off for it.

 

First, I never claimed it was being used, I said memes are. We all can agree memes in general or a Social Media creation and used in current teenage pop culture.
 

Secondly,  Tell Facebooks 7 billion dollar profit that Social Media does not work.  Or “Ninja” his $30 million deal does not work because he used Social Media as a platform. 
 

The negative of Social Media is that Kids are abusing it for purposes that most consider “Irresponsible” and during times when they should not.
 

Lastly, Seattle Sockeyes is ok.  But it is copyrighted by a author (not just in her book, the name is central to her book series) and the NHL does not want a name with such issues and have to pay her for the next 100 years.  Baltimore Ravens has a similar issue with their helmet logo and changed their logo to avoid paying another individual for it.  I am guessing she wants a fee + percentage of all use and still have use herself. 
 

The Seahawks pay Texas A&M to use the 12th man, hence why they attempt to just be 12s or 12 as often as possible.  
 

Again, names without issues on the final five list:  Evergreens and Kraken.  Sockeyes, Totems, Emeralds and Metropolitans all have copyright issues.  
 

 

 

[king_mahalo]

1 hour ago, Hobogrish said:

My teenage son and his friends talk non-stop about memes.  Adults are some what disconnected to the culture of teens, as always. So, maybe a meme is that same as Jurassic Park then...and we don’t know it.  At least the ownership group is not using Fortnight to get a name.

 

People post about culture values, gimmicks, copyrights and minor league. The fact is the only nickname that can create it is own identity is the Kracken or Krackens free of legal issues and gimmicks.  Sorry Sockeye is a gimmick through the tongue and cheek reference and a minor league is name like Hens, or Frogs. I also don’t need to hear the Totem name mocked with male genitalia.  Yes it will happen. There are issues with them all. 
 

The buzz created over the name has people talking during Super Bowl week.  It was number 1 on Twitter.  Remember Good or bad PR is this case is good PR, right out of PT Barnum’s playbook.   

 

 

The reference to fighting in hockey in the name Sockeyes is only gimmicky if the team plays it up. They could ignore it entirely. They probably would, honestly. 
 

I don’t understand why “Sockeyes” sounds minor league, just because there isn’t currently a professional team with the name? Sounds a lot more “classic” than Wild. Or Jazz. Or Golden Knights. 

and I have no idea how the name Totems relates to male genitalia. (Outside of the general shape of a totem pole, but he said “hear” implying audio jokes, not visual jokes)

[Ridleylash]

15 minutes ago, king_mahalo said:

and I have no idea how the name Totems relates to male genitalia. (Outside of the general shape of a totem pole, but he said “hear” implying audio jokes, not visual jokes)

I guess because scrotums? But even then, pretty much any brand name gets turned into a derogatory nickname (Ducks = Sucks, Leafs = Laffs, etc.), so why the hell would you brand based on that and that alone?

[ColeJ]

I guess what is throwing me off is that I'm completely unfamiliar with the "release the kraken" phenomenon.

 

That's not how I became aware of the word Kraken, so I don't associate it with a meme or a movie.

 

It's just a bad ass mythical animal that doesn't actually exist anywhere.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Re: Metros -- for a hot minute, Seattle tried branding itself as "metronatural." This was about two or three years after everyone tee-heed at the phrase "metrosexual." It's kind of a bummer, because even though it's kind of corny, metronatural is a pretty good descriptor of Seattle as both a major urban area and a gateway to mountains and the Puget Sound.

 

This is the only image I could find of the campaign:

 

If they hadn't trial ballooned Kraken, I would still be holding out hope for the Metropolitans. As it is, I'm really hoping we get Sockeyes. To me, it's the best of the rest at the only one that fits the black/pink/green color scheme.

[henburg]

25 minutes ago, king_mahalo said:

The reference to fighting in hockey in the name Sockeyes is only gimmicky if the team plays it up. They could ignore it entirely. They probably would, honestly. 
 

I don’t understand why “Sockeyes” sounds minor league, just because there isn’t currently a professional team with the name? Sounds a lot more “classic” than Wild. Or Jazz. Or Golden Knights. 

and I have no idea how the name Totems relates to male genitalia. (Outside of the general shape of a totem pole, but he said “hear” implying audio jokes, not visual jokes)

 

Just as the name "Kraken" wouldn't reference an old meme in any form or fashion visually despite everybody here fixating on that for some reason. The team has mentioned reaching out to indigenous artists for inspiration in the past, so imagine a team centered around a giant squid mascot depicted in a traditional Native American or even nordic art style. There's nothing campy about that to me, in fact I think it could look really amazing.

 

Even if they went a different route visually, it seems like you guys expect them to roll out rage comic jerseys or something. I think they're going to take themselves seriously. 

[Chromatic]

15 minutes ago, ColeJ said:

I guess what is throwing me off is that I'm completely unfamiliar with the "release the kraken" phenomenon.

 

That's not how I became aware of the word Kraken, so I don't associate it with a meme or a movie.

 

It's just a bad ass mythical animal that doesn't actually exist anywhere.

Its more than just the 'release the Kraken' thing. This past decade the amount of Kraken related imagery seems to have taken off, and often gets lumped in with Lovecraftian 'OMG SO SPOOKY IT CAN'T BE DESCRIBED/CTHULHU' esque media, which has also seen a surge in popularity.

[king_mahalo]

14 minutes ago, henburg said:

 

Just as the name "Kraken" wouldn't reference an old meme in any form or fashion visually despite everybody here fixating on that for some reason. The team has mentioned reaching out to indigenous artists for inspiration in the past, so imagine a team centered around a giant squid mascot depicted in a traditional Native American or even nordic art style. There's nothing campy about that to me, in fact I think it could look really amazing.

 

Even if they went a different route visually, it seems like you guys expect them to roll out rage comic jerseys or something. I think they're going to take themselves seriously. 

Seriously? You think they would name the team “Kraken” and not run “Release the Kraken!” into the ground? 
 

Fans would be pissed! From what I’ve seen on social media it’s pretty much the only reason the majority of fans like the name Kraken.